Visitor Elites

I’m setting up wilderness encounter tables for the visitor zones and a thought crossed my mind - why wouldn’t the visitors deploy squads with powered armor? Well, while first they are resource hungry, they do seem a legit form of encounter, simply put a powered suit on a visitor soldier. But oh, that power jump! This isn't your standard piece of equipment or magic item. It’s like four magic items in one, alternatively it's almost a wearable vehicle.

Now normally you don't rebalance a monster's experience for equipment, I consider it mostly integrated into the hit dice. In this case, the item fundamentally changes the unit wearing it. As such, I explored creating the stats below as though the suit was integrated into the monster. I did this mostly to feel out where they would sit in terms of XP and difficulty, to ensure that I am fair to my players.

I upped their hit dice between normal soldiers and commanders to represent an elite squad wearing power armor. They come out as a level 5 dungeon encounter! Using all their mental abilities to detect minds and share hit points makes them an interesting foe who should be played intelligently and deviously. I haven’t tested them yet, but combined with mind meld and massive resistances I expect a tough encounter would play out fit for an 8th level party. As a bonus at the end, after the build notes, I speculate on the price of a powered suit.

Visitor Elites

Elites are no different in form to other visitors, but they are different in ability and equipment. The Elites are the product of years of combat experience and training. Uncharacteristic for their race, the Elites embrace conflict and undergo rigorous physical and psionic training to hone their skills. They are also equipped with the finest in visitor weapons and armor, wielding no less than the latest in powered armor. Given the rarity of both willingness to engage in conflict and military experience among their race, these forces are rarely seen but greatly feared by their enemies.

Visitor Elites

% In Lair: Dungeon Enc: Wilderness Enc: Treasure Type / XP:	None Squad (1d4+1) Platoon  (2d4+2) Special x2 / 515
Hit Dice: Armor Class: Save: Special Def.:	4+1***** 10 F4 Immune (environmental immunities, half damage from fire and cold)
Movement: Attacks: Morale: Special Off.:	150’ (50’) Pulse plasma rifle (2x 6+/2d6/360’ range) or punch (3+/1d6+3) +3 Communicate telepathically (120’), mind-meld (60’), read surface thoughts (30’), Special ability (18 Strength, factored into melee)

Like other Visitors, Elites are telepathic; while they do possess a written and spoken language of their own, they can also communicate telepathically at will with each other or with any sentient beings up to a range of 120’. At closer range (30’), they may also read surface thoughts at will, as per the ESP spell. However, the main combat advantage their psychic powers afford them is that of a mind-meld. Once per day, any given group of up to eight Visitors may connect to each other psionically up to a range of 60’, pool their existing hit-points, and re-distribute them among themselves as desired.

Visitor Elites: the Elites fight as a coordinated squad using plasma rifles on rapid fire as their main form of attack. They also wield mighty powered suits which are sealed and insulated, using all rules for powered suits on page 99 of Barbarian Conquerors of Kanahu. Importantly this insulation halves any cold or fire damage dealt to the character. The wielder also possesses a strength score of 18 while wearing the suit (factored into attacks above). The suit's visor provides the wearer with thermographic vision up to full line of sight, even in total darkness. Many squads also use assault weapons such as a heavy plasma or fusion launcher, determine availability as required or use the squad treasure below.

If defeated, the equipment of an elite is a veritable trove of treasure. The suit itself may have salvageable energy crystals on destruction. The judge may roll up to 4d6 to determine how many crystals are still charged and generally they should be at half charge to reflect their usage. As equipment, their weapons and power armor may be damaged or destroyed in the battle.  Use the scavenging treasure rule on page 209 of ACKS to determine damage and the rules on page 94 of BCK to repair them. Squads also carry other equipment from combat drugs to healing syringes that can be deployed by the suit.  Roll treasure on the visitors tables from BCK before the battle to see what other equipment they may deploy. Anything unused is available for salvage after the battle.

Build Notes

I originally wasn’t planning for these to be a wandering monster. Mostly because they run on a 24 hour clock, but I allow a walker and they have a 30 hour clock. At 150 they can cover 7 6-mile hexes per day at a forced march, which is a solid range.

Starting at the base visitor single special (*).

• At four hit dice their base armor class is 3 according to Lairs and Encounters, taking them up to AC10 is more than double their base coming in at around two specials (**)! This is the part that worries me most, their AC is way above normal, almost twice the average for their dungeon level.
• Resistances are pretty cut and dry, they come in at only a quarter of a special (##). 
• Life support being worth a full special (*). 
• Finally the increased speed is two specials (##), noting it most likely should be 150’(50’) as listed in BCK.

In total that's ****####, which I round up to five specials (*****).

I didn't factor in the weapon double attack, as its a relatively normal item, but it encouraged me to round up.

I must admit I was tempted to give them a power blade attack after calling them Elites… I resisted and just stuck with the melee punch, they need some weakness. Plus they can have them as treasure.

Overall I’m increasing a base visitor by **** for the suit's addition. This benchmark could be applied to other humanoids wearing the suit to create similar NPCs encounters.

Powered Suit price 

Given these can be salvaged from squads, my players may end up with a few of these. They should be difficult to sell as they would have significant value (I know they will try). So, how to price a powered suit?

I have chosen to take the Gnomish Bronze Armored Suit automaton from Machinery to the Max, add features and then double the price to reflect visitor technology.

Base price 22,250:

• Increase AC +3 for #### x3 (7,500)
• Resistance to fire and cold ## x2 (2,500)
• Life support * (5,000)
• Speed to 150 ###### (3,750)
• Total addition 18,750, final price 41.000.

Now double it for advanced tech, I’m only doubling as it requires crystals to run. That’s 41,000 times two for 92,000. Round down to nearest 5,000 for a final price of 90,000. I could get a more precise read by rebuilding the suit to fit better, but by gut feel that may lower the price slightly so I didn't bother.

Overall these are very expensive in both a market sense and an operational sense.